As a record 2.3 million people head abroad over Easter, those who stay at home can enjoy a familiar holiday treat: a walk in the murk or a wait in a traffic jam.

But those who brave the home bank holiday will eventually be rewarded with brighter weather. And to make life easier for motorists, roadworks were lifted at 27 key sites.

Outdoor enthusiasts should wait until Sunday and Monday, when sunshine should disrupt a heady mix of showers in the south and east of England, brisk winds further north and a stubborn grey murk in the west today and tomorrow.

Temperatures will rise from 12C (54F) in the south today to a more springlike 15-17C on Sunday, but most of Scotland will be stuck on temperatures more like 11C. Northern Scotland will stay cloudy but the west will brighten up on Monday as light winds spread sunshine across most of England and Wales.

"Saturday doesn't look good," said Nick Ricketts, national forecaster at the Met Office. He warned that most of the country would experience spells of grey cloud and showers over the holiday period.

As about 18 million motorists prepared to take to the roads, the Highways Agency removed works at 27 locations, including the M4 near Bath, the M6 near Keele and the busy A696 route to Newcastle airport. Some, including the M60 in Greater Manchester and tunnel maintenance at the A282 Dartford crossing, remain in place. Roadworks between junctions eight and 10 on the M1 in Hertfordshire are expected to make it one of most congested routes.

Motorists will be able to call on the new £160m National Traffic Control Centre, operated by the Highways Agency, which offers a 24-hour hotline and information on traffic build-up and congestion relayed from 3,750 road sensors and 700 CCTV cameras.

The Association of Train Operating Companies estimated that the busiest times on the network would be on Easter Monday afternoon when holidaymakers returned. Major engineering works are set for the weekend, with passengers travelling into King's Cross, London, forced to start or end their journeys at Finsbury Park from tomorrow until noon on Monday. Seven of the 12 tube lines in London will be affected by partial service suspensions. Virgin said trains from Euston to the Lake District and Scotland were busy and urged customers to book tickets to guarantee a seat.

An estimated 2.3 million people will head abroad. The chilly spring and unseasonal snow had fuelled demands for sunshine breaks, the Association of British Travel Agents said. Spain and its islands are the most popular destinations.

All five Scottish snow resorts have opened. The conditions offer the best spring skiing for up to 50 years.